Antonia
Analyst, Brussels
- How were your first few weeks or months at Analysis Group?
- My first few months were very busy because I was immediately staffed on a case. That was great because I learned a lot very quickly – regarding both the case and the work at AG in general – and got to know colleagues from other offices. Also, my work was rewarded, since I got to go to a meeting with lawyers from one of AG’s biggest clients. I really appreciated that!
On a social level, I felt comfortable from the start because everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Because I joined together with two analysts and went with them to annual, firm-wide new hire orientation in Boston, we quickly became close. AG Orientation was a great experience – we met so many friendly and interesting people from the firm’s different offices. - What is it like to work on a case team? What types of cases have you worked on?
- Working on a case team can really vary. Sometimes you are on a big team, and the workstream is structured and standardized. The contribution of our work as analysts is always important, but in those big cases, I do rather small analyses and research and audit tasks. But, since there is a lot of planning and organizing required with big case teams, I get to be involved in the project management side. On smaller cases, my contributions are much bigger. For example, I’ve drafted entire sections of a report and prepared analyses, which were directly sent to counsel.
The cases I have worked on include mergers, cartel cases, intellectual property infringement cases, and US class actions against large companies. - How does AG support your professional development?
- Every person who works at AG has an advisor with whom you set and regularly discuss development goals based on your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. This is useful for keeping track of your progress and visualizing your goals. You can also get involved in business development cases. In Brussels, those often involve preparing presentations regarding new EU policy topics, which senior staff then present at conferences. I once assisted in such a case, and in recognition of my work, was invited to participate in the conference. AG employees also get a professional development budget, which can be used for trainings. I use mine to take French classes – my French has improved massively since I started those.
- How would you describe the atmosphere in your office?
- The atmosphere in our office is very familiar because we have a small amount of people. We usually take our lunch breaks together and talk about various topics. It is nice to be able to talk about non-work-related things during our lunch breaks so that we have a fresh start to the afternoon.
We sometimes say that it is almost unbelievable how AG only hires nice people, but it is true! Everyone is friendly, respectful, super interesting, and interested. The colorful and friendly atmosphere is one reason why I look forward to coming into the office. - How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
- I started going to spin class before work, which helps me get motivated for the day and do something for myself. It is true that sometimes we work long hours, but this way I know that even in those periods, I have already done something fun. I also started improv theater class, which is a perfect way to free my mind. It requires a lot of my brain capacity to switch into different roles, moods, and emotions. But, at the same time, it is not at all related to the topics and analyses I deal with at work. With improv, I can switch my mind to something entirely different (and so much fun!).
